Chef Monica Szepesy’s South American bistro in Encinitas has long been one of the city’s most beloved holes in the wall. From Q’ero‘s Kurobuta pork in Peruvian aji chile sauce to beef short ribs marinated in chichas de jora (corn beer) to chicken hearts on a stick, Szepesy and her risk-taking South American dishes are fixtures at events boasting San Diego’s top chefs. The only problem with her flagship? Elbow jousting. Compulsory eavesdropping. The utter lack of space. That’ll change later this year when Q’ero opens its new spot in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Szepesy is taking over the former Hunan Manor—a 2,525 square-foot space at 815 Birmingham Drive. Make no mistake. This is a tough location. The only foot traffic will be people buying road sodas at Chevron, which blocks the restaurant from street view. But we’re confident Szepesy could open a space at 815 Behind the Bushes and Trees and her people would find it. The chef, currently cooking at a festival in Peru, says there’s a lot of work to do on the interior. But she’s aiming to open Casa Q’ero in November.
If your dopamine rush comes from stepping into an experiential esoteric escape that also serves cocktails, then the newly-opened Anigma might just be up your alley. Brought to life by the owners of The Roxy Encinitas and Roxy on Broadway in Denver, Encinitas’ new hidden cocktail lounge spirals around the idea that nothing is quite as it seems. Stepping into the moody 47-seat space, which is tucked behind the retail store Archive, should feel like an out-of-this-world experience, says Paula Vrakas, one of the four partners behind Anigma.
Vrakas worked with architecture and design firm Tecture—which designed restaurants like Lucien, Haven at Fox Point Farms, and Kettner Exchange—to concoct an environment that begins when guests walk through the secret portal into a world of velvety folklore and myth. No two experiences will be identical, she promises.
“The concept itself is a changing concept, and so this sort of mysticism, the occult, or these dark arts, they’re ever-changing within themselves,” she explains. “So we can lean in…. at any given moment without completely changing the entire concept. That’s actually what we intend to do.”
If this sounds very abstract, that’s okay. Let’s center ourselves around the cocktails, which are very real and created in part by bar lead Sam Reinke.
Initially, there will be around 16 cocktails (and a few mocktails) in three sections. “Archive” features traditional drinks like Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, while “Myth & Memory” offers rotating cocktails inspired by Southern California folklore, like the monster of Proctor Valley Road or the legend of Charles “The Rainmaker” Hatfield.
Photo Credit: Gretchen Dunn
But the menu starts with “Sigils,” four drinks that break down Anigma’s logo into its individual features: the Celtic Knot, the tria prima (the Latin philosophy of three foundational elements of alchemy being salt, sulfur, and mercury), the All-Seeing Eye of Providence, and the Alchemist’s Stone. The ingredients in each reference key aspects of each concept; for example, the Alchemist’s Stone (sometimes called the Philosopher’s Stone) is made with red powder to mimic the same flaming hue of the legendary item. The Eye of Providence includes carrot juice, an ingredient rich in beta-carotene that also happens to be excellent for eye health.
The fifth drink, called “Anigma” and based on the logo as a whole, will never be listed. “But if you ask, you can find out,” promises Vrakas.
Since the concept is meant to be cocktail-forward, only a few small bites will be available, like chocolate-covered strawberries and wasabi pea pub mix. “It’s fancy snacks,” laughs Vrakas. But considering how Encinitas’ dining options have upped their game as of late, she says focusing on providing a high-end cocktail experience will fill a void in the area not yet overwhelmed with similar choices. Once inside, it’s an intimate space, with seating for 47 guests over 800-square-feet lit by candles and cocooned with dark velvet curtains sewn by Vrakas’ mother.
For now, Anigma is reservation-only, but will likely introduce opportunities for walk-ins in the future. In the meantime, expect surreality and perhaps a bit of discombobulation, says Vrakas. “It’s just meant to [feel] like, ‘Wait, where was I? Where was that? And how do I get back?’”
Anigma opens May 28 at 517 S. Coast Hwy 101 in Encinitas. Hours are Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 5 p.m. to 10:30 pm; and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m..Closed Sunday–Tuesday.
Rendering courtesy of JG Color by Design
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Black Mizu Café Opening Inside Cloak & Petal
Call it the Michelin effect—after earning Michelin recognition in December, Cloak & Petal in Little Italy is ready to expand its Japanese-inspired offerings by launching a coffee shop-slash-cafe experience this August.
Called Black Mizu Café, the 1,000-square-foot space situated within Cloak & Petal will serve Torque Coffee and Compa Coffee beans and Asa Bakery pastries, as well as Japanese comfort food dishes like a tamago sandwich, bánh mì panini, edamame hummus toast, and various parfaits. Signature drinks include specialties like a honey yuzu sparkling matcha, cherry blossom latte, white miso caramel latte, and a cardamom cinnamon latte. Next spring, Black Mizu will also launch a Pacific Rim-inspired brunch menu by executive chef Robert Cassidy.
With space for 25 to 30 guests, the Japanese-meets-Scandinavian minimalist design will also be able to accommodate a private dining space for Cloak & Petal during non-café hours. Managing partner Cesar Vallin anticipates the initial hours of operation will be daily from 6:30 or 7 a.m. through around 2 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until approximately 9 p.m. It’s not a pop-up, per se, but it’s certainly a creative way to make the most of the restaurant’s off-hours floor space.
After nearly four decades in Del Mar, Pacifica Del Mar announced it will close its doors at the end of their lease this December. No one knows yet what will replace it, but whatever comes next has some pretty big culinary shoes to fill. Side note: thank you to the PDM team for the multi-month heads up before closing! There’s nothing worse than finding out your favorite spot closed yesterday, so plan your last hurrah (or hurrahs) accordingly.
El Pueblo officially opened at 564 Pearl Street in La Jolla this week, which is good for two reasons. One, that old Jack in the Box was a mega-eyesore and two, now we can all get $1.39 fish tacos that much easier. Win win! Hours are 6 a.m. to midnight daily, and yes, that means you can get a breakfast burrito before the sun is up.
A Roman-style pizza place with wine, beer, and a small market coming to La Mesa? Yes, please! Pinsarella Market is slated to open late this year at 8131 La Mesa Boulevard (the former Kratom Kava Bar space) and if successful, may be the first of many across San Diego. If that’s a pizza-eating challenge, I happily accept.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Later this year, Marbella Oyster Bar will be added to that roster when it opens in the space that formerly housed Peace Pies, just behind Coast Thai-Way.
Marbella is the first restaurant for owners—chef Armando Martin del Campo and Jhonathan Velazquez. Martin del Campo went to culinary school in Mexico before working his way through kitchens in Mexico and the US. His vision for the restaurant is simple food prepared elegantly and served without pretension.
Oysters, of course—but also simple seafood dishes prepared with Japanese, French, and a touch of Mexican techniques. Ceviches won’t be too spicy, Martin del Campo says with a slight laugh. There will probably be at least one steak dish, thanks to his 13-plus years of exporting beef over the border.
Expect Spanish bomba rice, tacos made with non-GMO corn tortillas, crudo, sashimi, salads, and ceviches. For the maximum freshness of seafood, Martin del Campo says they plan to use the ikejime technique. The traditional Japanese method isn’t seen too often in local restaurants, because it’s not easy to master and it takes more work—but it’s widely considered one of the most humane ways to process and prepare fish. In ikejime, a spike is driven into the fish’s spinal cord, killing it instantly. The method reduces stress in the fish, which reduces the release of lactic acid (which harms texture and flavor); it prevents muscle spasms an rigor mortis (also bad for texture) and preserves ATP (adenosine triphosphate, a naturally occurring building block of umami).
lunch and dinner will feature a Euro-centric wine list sprinkled with a few US and Mexico options. Decor of the indoor-outdoor space will be minimalist, seating about 30 people in shades of beige, white, gray, and brown. “In San Sebastian, you go into all these [seafood] places… it’s like, yeah, they’re pretty, but it’s about just the food,” says Martin del Campo.
There will be an open-seating seafood bar with front-row seating for the seafood prep. “In Mexico, you go to a taco stand and you just eat it in the bar by yourself and you just move,” he explains.
Del Campo hopes Marbella is the first of several. “I want to create a restaurant group,” he says, perhaps expanding to a more fine dining approach in the future.
“It took me so many years to have my kitchen in San Diego, up north in Encinitas,” Martin del Campo explains. “I feel more prepared and blessed and experienced and mature in other ways… the timing was just perfect.”
Marbella Oyster Bar will open in August or September 2026 at 133 Daphne Street in Encinitas.
A shadow is looming over National Burger Day on May 28. Ground beef prices hit record highs this year, up 77 percent since January 2020 and double what they were in 2013. The Washington Postreports that the cost of beef brisket is up 28 percent from last year, leading to menu price increases and even restaurant closures across the barbecue belt of Texas. San Diego burger joints are feeling the beef-lation as well, and with summer burger season just around the corner, the outlook feels as gloomy as the May Gray skies. So if you notice that the price of your favorite burger has gone up a couple of bucks, be kind—it’s an unavoidable reality of today’s economy, and one the whole industry is facing together.
Courtesy of Little Italy Association
Beth’s Bites
First came Carlo in Cardellino, now Trust Restaurant Group is keeping the “hidden” bar concept going with the now-open Georgette’s at À L’ouest. Up the spiral staircase lies a cocktail bar designed for the curious, the travelers—basically anyone with a penchant for the mysterious, or if you’re just thirsty. Reservations are a must, and after peeking at the menu, I’m salivating for the Core Memory with bourbon, Calvados, lemon, Carondelet, and egg white. (Calvados, the apple brandy from Normandy, France, is my weakness… hint hint).
Wellness center by day and non-alcoholic lounge by night, Andreane is now open at 1050 Garnet Avenue, Suite A in Pacific Beach. Guests can grab a matcha post-sound bath or imbibe on mocktails after dark—either way, I, for one, am glad to see the sober bar movement continuing to grow.
Be there or be hungry—the annual Taste of Little Italy returns June 16 and 17! There will be pizza. There will be pasta. There will be live music. There will be belts ready to burst. Eat your way through nearly two dozen restaurants and wear loose pants (take it from someone with experience).
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
The maxim is “everything in moderation,” but I make an exception for pizza joints, especially when they’re run by an Italian native known for his mastery of wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Later this month, Encinitas will be the home of Isola Pizza Bar’s third location when it opens at 569 South Coast Highway 101.
Chef/owner Massimo Tenino hails from the Liguria and Piedmont regions in northwestern Italy, where his nonna taught him the art of cooking and set him and his brother Paolo Carlo down similar tracks (him in the kitchen, his brother as a winemaker for Pietro Rinaldi Winery in Alba, Piedmont). He opened the first Isola in Little Italy in 2012, followed by La Jolla in 2016, so it hasn’t been a rapid-fire expansion plan—but rushing has never really been the Italian way.
Like the other Isolas, food will center around the wood-fired oven. It’s used for everything from pizza to roasting vegetables, firing seafood, finishing meat, calzones, and goes along with housemade items like cheese, from-scratch pasta and sauces. As an added brother bonus, the wine program features Pietro Rinaldi wines produced exclusively to pair with Isola’s menu. Along with core menu items, Tenino says he plans to introduce some location-specific specials, like a seafood risotto, gnocchi pasta with eggplant and smoked mozzarella, and housemade ravioli with ricotta and spinach.
Courtesy of Isola Pizza Bar
Pizza is still the star of the show, made with double-zero flour imported from Naples, which gives the dough the ability to stretch without tearing for that signature Neapolitan airiness. It’s fermented for 48 hours to develop a deeper flavor and allow for a better gluten structure, then fired at 900 degrees in the fiery oven for char and chew. Then it’s topped with things like smoked mozzarella, parma prosciutto, or chile calabrese.
Eventually, Tenino says the Isola team plans to open a guest house and cooking school in the Piedmont wine region of Italy, to teach guests how to prepare local dishes and learn about the local wine scene. Whenever this pizza-wine pilgrimage from San Diego to Italy happens, I humbly volunteer as tribute.
Isola Pizza Bar will open at 569 South Coast Highway 101 on April 30, 2026.
Courtesy of GoodBar
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
New Blood Behind The Bar At GoodBar
At one point or another, every regular at every bar at least wonders what it would be like to run the place. But for Fonda and Todd Erwin and Kayla Kersey, they don’t have to wonder anymore. The former regulars at GoodBar are now running the show at the Point Loma watering hole.
Both born and raised in Point Loma, they raised their family in Temecula until 2017 when they decided to come home—landing about two minutes away from GoodBar. Needless to say, they were frequent visitors, Fonda laughs. Buying a bar wasn’t exactly part of their retirement plan, especially after the pandemic. But one night, she and Kersey discussed the possibility of buying a place (Fonda’s an event planner, and Kersey has bar and hospitality experience).
They don’t plan on making many changes—especially not the Philly cheesesteaks, Fonda promises. They’ll start showing more Padres games as well as Phillies and Eagles games, and maybe expand the hours. But for the most part, the trio is enjoying the YOLO lifestyle of non-retirement. “I don’t have any reason to be sitting at home,” says Fonda. “This was never in the plan, ever… [but] it is an absolute perfect fit.”
Courtesy of Tony’s Jacal
Beth’s Bites
Speaking of mo’ pizza mo’ happiness, Pizza Cassette is now open in Pacific Beach! Jimmy Terwilliger’s New York-meets-Italian style of pizza is not trying to be authentic Neapolitan, but if you’ve had the chance to swing by their permanent pop-up at The Gärten, you’ll know it’s authentically delicious.
80 years of Tony’s Jacal in Solana Beach is a mega-milestone to celebrate! All the way back in 1946, Tony and Catalina Gonzales opened the Mexican restaurant in the quiet beach community. Today, the family carries on the tradition with the same recipes (plus a few more). I’ll raise a margarita to the next 80 years.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
Finding a gift that feels truly personal can be surprisingly difficult. In a sea of generic options — flowers, gift cards, candles, and the like — Xplosion Box offers something more lasting: a customized keepsake built around the photos, messages, and memories that matter most.
Founded by Southern California entrepreneur Jay Vijay, Xplosion Box LLC creates fully customized explosion gift boxes that arrive professionally designed, printed, assembled, and ready to gift. Each box opens layer by layer to reveal personal photos, heartfelt messages, pull-out albums, origami-style photo pockets, and hidden notes, turning a simple gift into an emotional reveal.
The brand was built for people who want to give something meaningful without spending hours printing photos, cutting paper, folding cardstock, or assembling a DIY project. Customers simply choose a box, upload their favorite photos, add personal messages, and the Xplosion Box team transforms those details into a polished keepsake that feels thoughtful, personal, and beautifully made.
Xplosion Box offers personalized gift boxes for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, proposals, bridesmaid gifts, long-distance relationships, and thoughtful “just because” moments.
Customers can choose from flexible customization options starting at $27. The Mini Surprise Box includes 10 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note, while the Mega Surprise Box offers a fuller keepsake experience with 40 photos, three message cards, and one hidden secret note.
What sets Xplosion Box apart is its high level of customization combined with convenience. Filled with personal photos, custom text, decorative details, and layered surprises, each box gives customers the freedom to create a gift that feels one-of-a-kind — without having to make it themselves.
At its core, Xplosion Box helps people turn favorite photos, stories, and words into something tangible: a keepsake that can be opened, revisited, and remembered long after the occasion has passed. asion has passed.
Despite some preemptive eulogizing, the latest Brewers Association statistics estimate that though craft beer’s national volume is down 5 percent, it’s still a $72.5 billion industry. It ain’t going anywhere; just normalizing.
In San Diego, it seems like the ones who are chugging mightily along are the ones who offer more than just beer. Craft Coast, for instance. The brewery and taco stand opened its first brewpub in Oceanside in August 2020 and its second in San Marcos in April 2024. Both locations feature their own beer and Baja-style tacos, mulitas, and bowls.
Blake Masoner, one of the three co-founders with Lars Erickson and Brian Gillen, says he and his partners built a business plan on the premise of caring equally about the quality of the beer as the tacos. Food is no longer an option for a fledgling brewery’s survival. It’s essential.
“The days of business park breweries are limited, I think,” he says, noting they intentionally keep it simple.“In-N-Out doesn’t give everything to everybody for a reason, because they’re good at what they’re good at.”
His time at Pizza Port’s brewery was inspiration—a business model that survived on craft beer and pizza since the ’80s.
Craft Coast has had a successful five years in North County, where all three founders are lifelong locals. After one failed attempt to snag a spot in Encinitas in 2021 (followed by a successful bid in late 2023), they’ll open its first spot in the neighborhood this summer at 476 S. Coast Highway 101 in the former Filiberto’s space where the owners spent many late nights filling up on tacos.
The roughly 3,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor space (located directly underneath the Encinitas arch) will open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with possible late-night hours on weekends. The dozen or so taps will include Craft Coast’s five core beers (Agua Baja Mexican lager, Shootz Mahalo hazy IPA, Old West American IPA, XPA extra pale ale, and Sunset Market prickly pear sour with a rotating fruit) along with other collaborations and seasonals, plus canned and bottled non-alcoholic options and a selection of recently released to-go cans.
Expect the same food menu as the first two locations, plus a fully built-in salsa bar (my literal dream) designed by Ralitsa Kombakis of Studio Rallou. If the name sounds familiar, she also designed the soon-to-open À L’ouest French brasserie by chef Brad Wise (Trust Restaurant Group) in North Park.
Masoner says while the team likes to grow slowly, they’re committed to prioritizing their home zone of North County. If (and when) they open another brewpub, this is where they hope to stay.
“We’ve spent a lot of time living in Encinitas,” he says. “We always said if this building ever comes up, we should get it and do something. Then we established Craft Coast and here we are, five-and-a-half years later.”
Craft Coast opens this summer at 476 S. Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas.
When Matteo (somewhat suddenly) closed in South Park in December, it already had a succession plan in place. Angela Catania, who owns nearby Carbon Angela’s Kitchen, took the keys and announced Bedda in January. Bedda, which means “beautiful” in Sicilian, will not be an Italian restaurant—so don’t expect pizza or pasta, but do expect all-day dining, plus a deli and market and nighttime bar with cocktails and wine. Personally, I’m always glad when an uber-visible corner restaurant doesn’t stay empty for too long. I’m already counting down to its opening in mid-February.
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
When people across the world dream of California, it’s gotta be Encinitas they see in their mind’s eye. It’s the quintessential beach town—skate shops, surf breaks, a classic Southern California downtown area that’s home to the county’s oldest Spanish Colonial Revival–style theater (La Paloma), and about a billion brunch spots where you can watch herds of smiling families on e-bikes.
Needless to say, Travis Brummett totally gets why his brother and business partner Andrew is moving there. It’s to put down some new family roots, yes, but it’s also to run the second location of their family restaurant The Brant this summer.
Brummett has worked in restaurants since he was 19 in Huntington Beach, moving from busboy to server, bartender, management, director of operations, and eventually wrote a business plan for The Brant. He opened the coastal California bar and grill opened in his hometown in 2023, serving comfort food like pretzel bites, clams in white wine, spicy tuna tartare tacos, a raspberry and beet salad, fried chicken sandwich, a “Brant” Kobe beef burger, bone-in ribeye, fresh halibut, and chocolate lava cake.
The Brant’s designed as an approachable neighborhood joint, he explains, and includes a full bar with craft cocktails, plus local and domestic beers.
Travis and Drew had been looking specifically in San Diego for their next venue and call the former Beachside Bar and Grill site in the heart of Encinitas their dream location. They completely rebuilt the space (the location needed a restart) with a 1,500-square-foot rooftop bar and inside dining space that’s far bigger than their first spot, which will allow them to expand their menu and experiment.
“We really want to focus on being a part of the local community in Encinitas,” says Brummett. “We know that there’s a rich culture there, and [we] really want to cater to the locals and kind of bring the family neighborhood restaurant vibe to Coast Highway.”
“It’s more than just opening a restaurant,” he promises. “It is about joining a community.”
The Brant will open at 806 Coast Highway 101 in late summer 2026 for lunch and dinner service, plus weekend brunch.
Courtesy of Zodiac Boba
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Zodiac Boba Opens in Pacific Beach This February
The stars have spoken—boba is in your future. Zodiac Boba, a specialty drinks shop based on astrological signs and cosmic vibes, will open at 2015 Garnet Avenue, Suite 101 this February. Owner Angeline Tingzon says every sign will have a signature drink (as a Taurus, mine is a Taro-licious brown sugar tea with white foam), plus she’ll serve smoothies, coffee, and a few desserts like Belgian waffles along with the boba tea menu.
Tingzon says she wants to provide a place for people to relax and find a place for a pick-me-up. She plans to add an affirmation box to the ordering counter to help lift people’s spirits, and weekend tarot readings for an extra metaphysical touch. It shouldn’t be too hard—she’s already tapping into the local beach energy. “I really love the vibes here,” she says. “I think it’ll do well.”
Courtesy of Go Greek Yogurt
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
It’s a three-peat nomination for chef Tara Monsod for Best Chef: California at the James Beard Awards for her work at Animae, and this year she’s joined by Eric Bost of Lilo, which already earned a Michelin star in less than two months from opening. Convoy District made an appearance on this year’s list as well (an overdue one, in my humble opinion) with Realm of the 52 Remedies up for Outstanding Bar. I don’t want to jinx things, but I feel like this is our year for some hardware.
Cover the planet in pho. Escondido’s got a new Vietnamese soup shop just down the street from the California Center for the Arts. Pho Luu will have its grand opening on January 27 at 205 W. Mission Avenue, serving (you guessed it) pho, banh mi, spring rolls, bun bo hue, vermicelli bowls, and more. As someone with a pho tattoo, I wholeheartedly support any and all new additions to the local roster.
If 2026 is the year you’ve decided to get serious about probiotics (or you just like Greek yogurt), then you might be pleased to know that Go Greek Yogurt is opening its very first San Diego store in Del Mar Highlands Town Center on Friday, January 30. It’s the fifth location in California and its menu offers Greek yogurt, frozen yogurt, smoothies, and a bunch of protein-and-probiotic-packed items to treat your gut to a little TLC. (And let’s face it, with this whole new inverted food pyramid, focusing a little on gut health is probably going to be a good idea.)
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.
Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.
Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.
The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.
At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.
Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.
Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.
Healcove Chiropractic
There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.
This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.
There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point.
Juice Holler
West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.
We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.
Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.
Everwell Acupuncture
We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.
Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.
Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.
At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.
